Latest Abstract

Title IX was enacted as part of the Educational Amendments Act to ensure equality in athletics at higher educational institutions. Since its enactment in 1972, perhaps no federal statute has had a more direct impact on intercollegiate sports. This paper explores the history of Title IX and its effect on the shaping of women's intercollegiate athletics today. The implementation of Title IX has made great strides and continues to strive in today because the fundamental ideas of this law are supported by the largest intercollegiate athletic governing body, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). As a result, women's participation in college sports has increased from 15% in 1972 to 45% in 2010. It is because of the advent of Title IX and through the support of the NCAA that women have truly found a place as participants in intercollegiate athletics.

Meta-reflection 11/28

Here is a copy of my most recent abstract. My paper is almost complete! I still have to write my introduction and go through the revision process to polish my paper. It's finally coming together :)

Title IX was enacted as part of the Educational Amendments Act to ensure equality in athletics at higher educational institutions. Since its enactment in 1972, perhaps no federal statute has had more direct impact on intercollegiate sports. This paper explores the history of Title IX and its effect on the shaping of women’s intercollegiate athletics today. The implementation of Title IX has made great strides and continues to strive in intercollegiate athletics today because the fundamental ideas of this law are supported by the largest intercollegiate athletic governing body, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). As a result, women’s participation in college sports has increased from 15% in 1972 to 47% in 2010. It is because of the advent of Title IX and through the support of the NCAA that women have truly found a place as participants in intercollegiate athletics.

Meta-Reflection 11/15

Well my abstract has changed again. After thinking it over, I decided that my research showed that womens soccer at UC was not added because of Title IX. While it did undergo drastic changes over the years to comply with Title IX there was not sufficient enough evidence for me to make a correlation between the two so I have re-focused the direction of my paper again! My paper will now focus on the history of Title IX and it's impact on women's intercollegiate athletics through the support to the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The NCAA is the leading governing body of intercollegiate athletics. The NCAA has made great strides to help schools keep in check with Title IX regulations. In order for an institution to compete under the NCAA rules and policys they must comply with the Effective Accomodations Test under Title IX as well as provide the provisions made as well. I think this is a much better was to focus my paper so hopefully it works out this time!

Meta-Reflection 11/14

Now that I have more than half of my page requirement for this research paper, my abstract and purpose for my paper has changed. My abstract is now focusing how the University of Cincinnati complied with the laws of Title IX by adding a women's soccer team and supporting them throughout the years. While soccer was added to comply with Title IX, it was not the main reason it was added. Throughout my research by contacting former players and coaches, I found out the main reason soccer was added was because there was a group of 17 girls who played on the club soccer team at UC that wanted to make it a full varsity sport. This was in 1980 when schools were adding women's sports to be compliant with the passing of Title IX. It is interesting to see that while womens soccer was added, it didn't reach fully funded status until the 1998 season after Congress passed the Equality in Athletics Disclosure Act in 1994 and universities were required to become compliant with the recent Title IX laws. Women's soccer at University of Cincinnati has specific changes that have been dictated by the changing laws of Title IX so my paper has now shifted focus to how UC has maintained complaint with Title IX laws.

Meta-Reflection 11/8

So far I am pleased with my writing process. Now that soccer is done I have a lot more time to focus on my paper. I have about 11-12 pages on the Title IX part and now I am working on the history of women's soccer at the University of Cincinnati and tying the two together. I am meeting with a a former coach, two former players, a former athletic director, a current coach, a compliance advisor, and a senior-womens administrator to band together information regarding the history of UC women's soccer. It is going well and I am learning so much! I am a little worried about getting to 20 pages. I am afraid that I will not have enough information and will be aimlessly writing to fill space.

Update

I finally have my first part of research done!! I felt like I would never get done with it but I am really happy with how my paper is coming together. Tomorrow our first 10 pages are due. I have 10 pages of single spaced chunks of blocks. I wrote an outline and have been working on it piece by piece based on the information I have been finding from my research. I have narrowed down my topic to Title IX and how it has affected the history of womens soccer here at UC. It is a topic especially close to my heart  since I have played for the UC womens soccer team for 4 amazing years. It is really interesting to hear past stories about the founders and former players. My connections through athletics have been essential to my paper. My next steps are to finish the history of Title IX part and finish meeting with former players for interviews to start the history of womens soccer part. I am really excited to continue my research and finish this paper!